Page 124 of One Nightstand With My Ex's Uncle

LUCAS’ POV.

I pulled on a sweatshirt after taking a warm shower, and looked at the lotion Emily gave me. I would have preferred not to use it, but Emily would think I didn’t like it, and that wasn’t the case.

Keeping it safe and pretty for when I wanted to remember my most beautiful new year was my intention.

Shortly, someone knocked.

“Come in.” I said, applying the lotion onto the back of my palm.

“Happy New Year.”

I turned to look at John as I massaged the lotion onto my hands.

“Smells nice.” He said, and I looked at my hands. “You don’t use this kind of stuff. Who gave it to you?” He asked, coming closer to me.

“Someone.” I replied, sitting in the chair, trying to clear my desk.

“Someone I know?” He asked, and I focused on clearing the desk.

He took the lotion and studied it. “Seeing that you don’t want to reply, and also seeing that this is exactly the kind of thing Emily likes to receive as gifts, I’m guessing she gave it to you.

Because there’s no way you’ll know exactly what Emily likes. ”

“And what’s the use of the analysis?” I asked, dryly, opening a drawer, and dumping my hairdryer in it.

“Of course, she can give you a gift. I’m not against that.”

“What do you want, John?” I asked, putting books in the second drawer.

“I wanted to invite you to me and Emily’s wedding.” He said, and I stopped for a few seconds, then continued. “You must think I’m joking.” He said, dropping a bloody document in front of me.

I straightened up slowly, and looked at the documents.

“Where did you get these?” I asked, recognizing documents that I thought had ceased to exist. Old documents that could be likened to living beings. Whatever was written on them in blood was sealed, and bound.

“That’s not important, is it? I think what’s more important is what is written on them.” He said, and I looked at the names, and the signatures. “Signed in wolf blood.” He added, with a snigger.

“What did you do to her?”

“Nothing. She signed them after we had a lovely date night on the last day of the year. She didn’t tell you she was out with me? And trust me, she wasn’t drunk. She was aware of the whole process.”

“Stop spitting useless words, and get lost. Do you think Emily’s a joke? Why would she sign these?” I asked, getting up, and he took two steps back, raising both hands.

“Ask her.” He said, retreating, with a smile.

He left my room, and I stared at the door with my mind blown back and forth by a storm of thoughts.

How could she have signed this the previous night, and had fun with me without even feeling remorse? Without telling me? I looked at the date on the paper. It was on the thirty-first. Did she really sign those? I knew she was out with John, but…

Emily didn’t like John.

The memory of them building a house of cards lovingly flashed in my head, and I closed my eyes.

“No.” I said to myself. Even if she considered me as a friend, she wouldn’t have been that free and happy with me. At least, she would have told me.

Then, Tray’s words floated into my head.

Without wasting one more second, I dashed out of my room with the documents in my hand. My feet covered the length of the hall quickly, making their way to the hall on which Emily’s room was.

When I got to her room, I stopped at her door with a raised hand. When was the last time fear had spread its tendrils in my chest? I couldn’t remember, but standing in front of her door, wondering what would happen next tore me apart.

What would she say? What would happen? It almost made me want to take a step back. Did I really want to know? I could just get into my car, zoom off somewhere faraway, and imagine she wasn’t entangled in all the mess.

“Lucas.” I heard her call softly. She wasn’t in her room, rather she was approaching me. She had washed her face, and her eyes looked unnaturally bright. “Hi.” She said, and I held up the documents.

She froze.

Staring at them, she couldn’t say a word, nor could she look at me. She only kept on swallowing.

“Let’s just talk about this later.” She said, turning around, but I walked past her, and blocked her way.

“No. Did you sign these?”

“There’s no point in all this. Yes, I signed it.”

“With your hand?”

“With my hand.” She said, trying to leave, but I held her arm.

“Why didn’t you tell me? You signed them last night.” I said, barely keeping the hurt from messing with my voice.

“Lady Genevieve calls for me.” She said, and even though I knew it was a lie. I let her go. “I’m sorry.” She whispered, and walked away.

My chest felt squeezed. It was the same feeling I felt back in those days when the older girls had played me. I couldn’t shake it off.

My heart was a man, drowning in deep, dark, forgotten waters. I couldn’t understand a thing that was going on. No, I couldn’t. Once more, I had lost.

I had thought the end of middle school was the last time I would lose out, but it wasn’t. Like a fool, I had let my guard down again, only to get what I should have known I would get.

The tears wet my lashes, and I let go of the papers, so I wouldn’t squeeze them.

I exhaled slowly, trying not to feel any of the hurt, but… I couldn’t. I didn’t even know I liked her as much as that…

Why would she marry John? Why didn’t she tell me? Why did she smile at me, speak with me, and act like she preferred me to John?

Just then, I felt a little hand hold three of my fingers. It was Sadie.

“Fool.” She said, softly, and I closed my eyes, turning away from her. Her harsh words didn’t actually seem so harsh. “I’ll be at the entrance. I’ll stop people from coming.” She said, and even though it was embarrassing to cry all because of a woman. I couldn’t help it.

It hurt to hurt.

I had completely trusted Emily, and without knowing it, I had loved her… loved her more than all the girls I ever loved.

~

Later that evening, I drank in Tray’s house, drinking and staring into space.

“It’s not… it’s not how all ladies are. It just happened to you for a reason. You can’t judge all ladies, and go back to the cold monster you used to be. Lucas, you ought to try and try again until you can finally be happy. You’re a weakling if you fear being hurt. Are you a weakling?”

“I’m not.”

“You are. Do you think she played you? Emily?”

“I know she didn’t. I know she was real with me, but she showed me there was more than one way to get hurt.”

“I still think there’s something completely wrong in all this. Maybe she’s not telling you the truth. Maybe John forced her or threatened her, and she doesn’t want you to overreact. Just imagine the both of you fighting, and news gets out, and…”

I threw the glass into the wall, and it gave a satisfying smash, sending shards everywhere.

“And who cares about the people?” I asked in a rather calm voice.

“Your family. Trust me, I know she has her reasons.”

“Well, I don’t know what those reasons are. I guess I’m going to give up like I always did.”

“What?”

“I’ll have to let her go because if I don’t… I’ll keep running back to her.”

Like a fool.

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